From the daily edition · 20 Oct 2026Laws and rulings
DHS orders DeepSeek products removed from civilian federal IT systems
A DHS order, with notice due in the Federal Register on 20 October, excludes DeepSeek from civilian federal procurement and removes it, and products built on it, from agency IT.
In short
- DHS published a notice of an order that excludes DeepSeek, affiliated entities included, from federal civilian agency procurements and requires removal of its products from agency IT.
- The removal also covers third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations. The order applies to civilian agencies except national security systems and secure compartmented information systems.
- Agencies must request exceptions in writing within 60 days of issuance, and the Secretary of Homeland Security will review the order within one year and annually after that.
The Department of Homeland Security published a notice in docket DHS-2026-0628 about an order from the Secretary of Homeland Security, Exclusion and Removal Order #2026-01. The notice is scheduled for the Federal Register of 20 October 2026.
The order excludes products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd, including affiliated entities, from federal civilian agency procurements.
It also requires removal of DeepSeek and DeepSeek-affiliate products, and of third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations, from civilian agency information technology. The order gives July 24, 2026 as its original release date.
It applies to federal civilian executive branch agencies except for their national security systems and secure compartmented information systems. Agencies may request an exception in writing within 60 days of the order's issuance. The Secretary of Homeland Security will review the order within one year and annually after that.
In its summary of risks, the order says DeepSeek's most widely used applications require presenting information to the model, which may result in the transfer of sensitive data to the PRC if used by U.S. government employees or vendors.
What it means for you · our view
This is a US federal civilian rule, so it binds agencies first, and its reach to third-party products developed using DeepSeek implementations may extend it to vendors who sell to them.
DHS gives its reason: it says DeepSeek's most widely used applications require presenting information to the model, which may transfer sensitive data to the PRC if government employees or vendors use them. How far the phrase about third-party products reaches is for the order's text to settle.
If you sell AI products to US federal civilian agencies, or build on DeepSeek models, ask your engineering team now whether any component uses DeepSeek, and read the order itself before an agency asks you.
How we checked this · the sources8 checked facts from 1 source.
-
https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-21447/order-exclusion-and-removal-of-deepseek-products-from-federal-civilian-executive-branch-information · archived copy
- The Department of Homeland Security published a notice in docket DHS-2026-0628 of an order from the Secretary of Homeland Security excluding DeepSeek (Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd), including affiliated entities, from federal civilian agency procurements.
checked 20 Oct 2026The Department of Homeland Security is publishing notice of the Secretary of Homeland Security's issuance of an order (1) excluding information technology products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd (DeepSeek), to include affiliated entities as defined in applicable regulations, from federal civilian agency procurements
- The notice in docket DHS-2026-0628 is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 2026-10-20.
checked 20 Oct 2026This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 2026-10-20
- The notice says the Secretary of Homeland Security ordered removal of all DeepSeek and DeepSeek-affiliate products, and third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations, from civilian agency information technology.
checked 20 Oct 2026(2) removal of all DeepSeek and DeepSeek-affiliate products, and third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations, from civilian agency information technology.
- The order, titled Exclusion and Removal Order #2026-01, gives July 24, 2026 as its original release date.
checked 20 Oct 2026Exclusion and Removal Order #2026-01 ... Original Release Date: July 24, 2026
- The order applies to Federal Civilian Executive Branch Agencies except for their national security systems and secure compartmented information systems.
checked 20 Oct 2026Applies To: Federal Civilian Executive Branch Agencies except for their national security systems and secure compartmented information systems
- The order says executive agency requests for exceptions must be submitted in writing within 60 days of the issuance of the order.
checked 20 Oct 2026Executive agency requests for exceptions must be submitted in writing within 60 days of the issuance of this order
- The order says the Secretary of Homeland Security will review it within one year and annually thereafter.
checked 20 Oct 2026The Secretary of Homeland Security will review this order as required by the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act within one year and annually thereafter.
- The order's summary of risks says DeepSeek's most widely used applications work through a prompt-and-response process that requires presenting information to the model, and that this may result in the transfer of sensitive data to the PRC if used by U.S. government employees or vendors.
checked 20 Oct 2026DeepSeek's most widely used applications function through a prompt-and-response process that requires presenting information to the model, and which may result in the transfer of sensitive data to the PRC if used by U.S. government employees or vendors.
- The Department of Homeland Security published a notice in docket DHS-2026-0628 of an order from the Secretary of Homeland Security excluding DeepSeek (Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd), including affiliated entities, from federal civilian agency procurements.